WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today pressed the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and end years of delay surrounding a project with benefits both for America’s economy and energy security.

Murkowski joined a bipartisan group of 53 senators on Wednesday in sending a letter to the president urging him to approve the Keystone XL pipeline now that the state of Nebraska has approved a new route for the project.

“The economy remains Americans’ top concern, and Keystone is exactly the type of project we need to get things moving again,” Murkowski said. “Expanding our energy ties with Canada will support tens of thousands of jobs for Americans and create hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits. The time for delay is over. The administration stated it would issue the final environmental impact statement for the project before the end of the first quarter of 2013 and I urge the president to adhere to that commitment.”